Tainted Innocence [GxG]

Chapter 21

Sophia's POV

It is the day after I agreed to go to school, and now I'm in the fast moving car, on the way to my new form of education. Rowan figured out everything that needed to be done to enroll me, and she put me in all the same classes as her, which I'm glad for.

If I was apart from her for a full hour and a half, I don't know if I could handle it.

However, I want to try to make my own friends and be independent for the first time in my life. I don't know how I'm going to do that with Rowan by my side the entire time, but I will still try. I know she has the best intentions, I just can't help but feel a little overprotected, like I used to be.

It's a sense of deja vu, and I don't know if it's a good thing. In both cases, people were trying to protect me, but you see how the last time worked out.

We pull into the school and get a parking spot near the front. "It's my reserved parking since I'm the Alpha." That makes sense. "The school is mainly a werewolf school, being run by werewolves, but there are also humans who attend. Don't mention anything werewolf related in case they overhear."

I nod, being more quiet than usual. I often retreat back into myself when I'm nervous, but I hope I step up like I did at the pack breakfast.

Rowan turns to me after the car is parked, with a hint of worry in her gray eyes. "Are you sure you want to do this? We can head back to the pack house if you aren't comfortable."

I reassure her, "It's okay. I need to step out of my comfort zone." I don't know who I'm trying to convince, her or myself.

She nods once, as if she is trying to persuade herself to get out of the car, before opening the car door and heading to my side. While she is walking around the front of the car, I close my eyes and take a deep breath. I can do this.

She opens my door for me, before grabbing my hand and leading the way to the office. I notice everyone's stares and whispers, but try to ignore it as I stare at the ground.

We get my schedule and locker combination from the nice lady at the front desk, before emptying my unneeded school supplies into my locker. As promised, Rowan and I were locker buddies. She led me to our first class, the stares and whispering continuing.

"Ignore them," Rowan whispers in my ear, before we stop outside a door that mentions the class is math. My least favorite subject.

Walking into the classroom was nerve wracking, never having been in a classroom before. It is fairly small, fitting about thirty students in it, making the space look even smaller. It is very crowded, the desks in rows.

The teacher, a friendly looking woman, smiles at me brightly. "You must be Ms. Dalton! Welcome to calculus. Please introduce yourself."

I clam up, as all eyes focus on me. Rowan takes this as her chance to help me out. "This is Sophia and she was homeschooled before she started here. Please welcome her kindly."

Hearing a scoff in the middle of the room, my head instantly turns in that direction. A high pitched voice asks, "Can't she speak for herself? Or is she mute?"

Rowan lets out a quiet growl. Knowing she can't expose her secret, I grab her hand and squeeze it tightly. I say in a calm and level voice, directed towards the girl who spoke, "I'm not mute and I can speak for myself."

Rowan leads me to the two desks that are side by side, and sits in one. I take the opportunity to sit down, but I notice the girl I responded to was fuming. I don't know what her problem is, but I just try to ignore it the best I can. This will be my first day of a better life.

The class carries on, the entire class learning new material and solving problems. It goes by surprisingly quickly, and so does the next class.

Soon, it is lunch, and I have to use the bathroom. "Rowan, I'm going to use the bathroom." I had to inform her of where I was going, I didn't want to just wander off and leave her alone.

"I can come with," Rowan insists, even though she went right before we left for school and didn't drink much water.

"I can do this one thing by myself, I need to be more independent. Don't worry about it." I walk away from her, trying to ignore the pulsing pain that arises behind my eyes. The memories are coming back, and will show no mercy. I just wanted to try and do something on my own. She spoke for me today and I wanted to show her I can do things by myself.

Walking into the bathroom that took a while to find, I go into a stall and quickly do my business. Washing my hands, I notice someone behind me in the mirror.

I look up, only to see the same girl who was fuming in math class. "Is everything alright?" I ask politely, not knowing what she wants.

She looks just as mad now, so I'm not surprised to hear what comes out of her mouth, "I'm here to teach you a lesson for talking back to me. No one disrespects me."

Stomping towards me menacingly, I put my hands up in surrender. "I didn't mean any disrespect." I'm shaking like a leaf, glancing towards the exit, hoping Rowan would come in to check on me right at this moment.

This seems to make her even more angry. "I don't care!" She all but screams, grabbing my head in her hand and pushing it up against the mirror that hangs over the sink. I feel the broken pieces of the mirror lodge themselves into my forehead as it shatters. Warm liquid runs down my face, barely missing my eye.

"Hope this makes you decide to not mess with me again." She walks out with a satisfied smirk on her face.

My head feels lightheaded, and it's hard to move my limbs. I barely feel myself collapse onto the floor, my thoughts going back to the car wreck. I couldn't move then and I can't move now.

I silently wish that I never left Rowan. I should have let her protect me like my parents did. Maybe I would have been better off.

I lay on the bathroom floor, feeling myself fade in and out of consciousness. Distantly, I hear rapid footsteps coming my way and my body being lifted, but I'm too far gone to respond to the voice that whispers, "Stay with me, kitten."